Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale

Brewed by Mad River Brewery
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Blue Lake, California USA

Today your APA better be pretty kick ass, there is no room for average and this is just too middle of the road. Drinkable.

Thin head with light carbonation. Light fruity nose with some peaches, floral hops and some malts. Slightly hazy medium golden orange in color. Dry and crisp flavor. Light malts and crisp hops. Some floral and grainy notes. Finishes dry and with a mild bitterness. A decent pale ale.

12oz bottle. Grain and sour yeast aroma. Hazy gold body with white head looked like a hefe. Grainy flavor with some sour, tart and bitterness. An APA justg had one the other day and this is nothing like that one. Maybe an english bitter or belgian sour, odd.

Blah...not terrible but not very good. Aroma was pretty weak. Light grassy hops. Pour was a light gold with no head. Very light colored for an APA. Taste was pretty sweet with an even combination of light malt and grassy hops with the malt overpowering. The aftertaste is astringent and almost like medicine. LIttle to no bitterness and too sweet. Could use a little more carbonation as well.

Bottle: Vibrant straw, hazy, thin to moderate spritzy head, spotty lacing.   Sweet candied citrus peel on the nose.   Very citrus peelish, very candyish.   This one is turning me on!   Soft malt and hop union on the tongue, on the sweeter side for sure.   This one is unlike any other one I have had.   I thought I would never say this, but while balanced it does appear to be on the ligher side for an American Pale Ale.   Sweeter than average, and without a hop bias that I would have thought to be there, albeit not as much as an IPA either.   Am I still making sense?   Good, but falls off on the backside somewhat abruptly.   Could use a tad bit more bitterness to balance with the sweetness.   I remembered this one being more biting... or perhaps thats back when I couldn’t drink IPAs?   Not bad, easy enough, different, but a touch lighter than most examples.

Pours a clouded gold. Big crème head. Mild perfumed hops of the pine scented variety on the nose, but a pretty gentle ride. Flavor is tangy hops with an interesting zing that carries the citrus tone but not a really wild flavor profile. Feel has a good liquid body and a pretty high amount of carbonation to it. Overall a good brew. Smooth and easily drinkable. Nothing wild, but nothing boring as well.

Bottle bought as a single for a buck and served in standard pint glass: Pours a slightly hazed golden hue with a fading frothy head and some spotty lace. The aroma has notes of floral and aromatic hops, very light pine and citrus, bready and grainy vapours, and a touch of papery oxidization. The taste is a smooth pale malt driven character with light bitterness is direct support. I found just a hint of hop spice and buttery notes as well. The mouth feel is sprite and thin. A very pedestrian beer, perfect for listening to popular rock MP3’s.

Bottle. Sweet orange juice and mild pine hops aroma. Hazy orange-yellow color with small white head. Honey and light orange flavor with a mild pine hops finish. A nice APA on the sweet side.